VCI Sign Language Interpretinghttps://www.vcinterpreting.com
Visual Communication InterpretingTue, 13 Mar 2018 20:12:33 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.5112638091One Bad Decisionhttps://www.vcinterpreting.com/03/one-bad-decision/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/03/one-bad-decision/#respondTue, 13 Mar 2018 20:11:33 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19123Can it really be week 5 already? I’m trying to wrap around the fact that time has flown by so rapidly. Honestly, I am tired. I am exhausted. I’m sure the switch from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time hasn’t made it any easier. Seriously though, I counted 21 hours of hands-up interpreting time this week! That is a lot–and I am stoked about it!

I learned something this week: The importance of humility. I faced an ethical decision and had a split to think through some options and select one. After carrying through the action I chose, I realized the decision I made was an unwise one. That realization was uncomfortable. As I thought through various tenets of the RID Code of Professional Conduct, I identified those that I should have considered in that split second decision. A short time later, I had the opportunity to watch the lead interpreter face with a situation quite similar to the one I faced. I watched her carefully with the intent to understand what she was doing and how she dealt with it. She made the right decision look so easy and make so much sense! I wished that I had been more on top of things like she was, but I am getting there.

After the assignment was finished, we took some time to debrief and to discuss the situations that we had both faced. The lead interpreter was very kind as she discussed why my decision was not a wise one and how to make a better decision in the future.

As we talked, I was struck with the truth that an attitude of humility is so much more conducive to learning–and remembering–than an attitude of fear or self-defense. I am very new, and have only a miniature pool of personal experiences from which to draw from in my own ethical decision making. I will always remember to humbly and meekly seek and accept feedback, criticism, and guidance. When my pool of experiences increases in the future I will always remember to remain humble and teachable. Humility is wisdom, the importance of which I want to always want remember.

I recall a Bible verse I memorized which is apropos in this discussion. James 3:17 (NASB): “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

I want to display this kind of character when I receive feedback. I want to be an interpreter who is humble and wise, pure, and reasonable. I want to meekly and respectfully consider feedback and guidance, no matter who gives it to me.

I expect I will remember the experience that I had this week for a long time to come. I learned something, and I have tools now that I did not have before, which will help me to be more careful in my decision-making in the future.

]]>https://www.vcinterpreting.com/03/one-bad-decision/feed/019123That Moment When I Realizedhttps://www.vcinterpreting.com/03/that-moment-when-i-realized/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/03/that-moment-when-i-realized/#respondMon, 05 Mar 2018 18:49:33 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19106My mentor said: “Stop feeling sorry for deaf people. They are fully capable of learning the information that they need to know. Do not baby them. They are intelligent: treat them that way!” I sat there, my brain running through personal data.

Before I continue on with this blog, allow me to give some background.

I had the opportunity to team interpret a training for a deaf person. During the lecture, I noticed the client often looked down, possibly to write important information learned or maybe the client was simply distracted. As a result of the client looking down, I would pause my interpretation, hold the information, and then provide a summation when the client engaged me again.

The next day, my mentor and I met to debrief that interpreting/observation experience. She explained that when interpreters pause and hold a message, information gets lost. She said it is the deaf client’s responsibility to receive the information, not my responsibility to hold it. It is innate in many people to want to help other people. Interpreters are not exempt but don’t feel sorry for the deaf client. That’s where you draw the line. They don’t need pity.

My mentor was not expecting me to admit that I was not feeling sorry for her but that I was feeling sorry for myself. That admission changed the conversation.

I continued to share that I knew that if the client missed what I interpreted for the purpose of taking notes, then I would feel obligated to repeat part of the interpretation so that the client didn’t miss anything. I thought it would be easier for me, as the interpreter, to hold information and summarize than to have to repeat all that was said.

Thus came the moment I realized that I more concerned about my level of comfort than about the accuracy of the message the client received? Yes. That is exactly what raced through my head. In the moment, I did do my best to give an equivalent message, and that was very important to me. I just didn’t want to have to repeat part of what the presenter said and that I had just interpreted in order to provide the full thought all over again. Rethinking the situation, I realized that interpreting the information again wasn’t necessarily necessary.

My mentor explained that if a deaf client is fully engaged in a lecture and is looking down to take notes, it is appropriate for the interpreter to pause and hold information until the client looks up again realizing that “holding” the information results in a summation of the information instead of a real-time interpretation. However, if the client chooses to not pay attention and is distracted, the onus is not on the interpreter to hold all that a presenter says and then render an interpretation. The onus is on the deaf client to either as the presenter for a repeat of missed information if information was in fact missed. The interpreter should continue to interpret the message, and let the deaf client decide where to direct his or her attention.

In my recent situation I admittedly could not point to a good reason for my decision to stop interpreting, try to memorize all the information that was presented and then render an accurate summation of the information. Why? I was worried about myself. I worried that if I continued interpreting when the deaf client was looking down, that the deaf client would receive only half of an interpreted message. Would the deaf client look negatively on me, possibly pass judgment on me as an unskilled interpreter who can’t provide a cohesive interpretation? (Well…seeing that I am still learning to interpret, that might actually be a correct assumption…but I digress!)

With more personal reflection, I realize that the fear of judgment is never a good reason to make a bad decision. I should make decisions based on the ability to defend my decision. Is my decision logical based on the facts of the situation? If so, it is appropriate; if not, I should take the time to reflect on it, and ascertain the assumptions and fears in my own heart, and find out why I am inclined to make a decision one way or another. Is my decision in line with the tenets of the Code of Professional Conduct? Do my decisions reflect the kind of interpreter I want to be? Is it appropriate, given the dynamics of the particular situation?

In the future, I want to do better and I will strive to do better. I must acknowledge my own fears and desires for affirmation. Once acknowledged I can lay them Then I must lay them down at the door and walk into any interpreting assignment with one goal: to facilitate effective communication for my deaf client.

This is the kind of interpreter I want to be–self-forgetful, trusting my reputation into the hands of God, and present to fulfill the responsibilities that have been placed in my path.

]]>https://www.vcinterpreting.com/03/that-moment-when-i-realized/feed/019106The Freedom to Make Mistakeshttps://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/the-freedom-to-make-mistakes/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/the-freedom-to-make-mistakes/#respondTue, 27 Feb 2018 15:39:35 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19101Does an interpreting assignment proceed more smoothly with prep material or without prep material? Most definitely, the answer is, WITH PREP MATERIAL! I have to confess, I dropped the ball on preparing last week. One of the sites I am interning at is a non-denominational church with charismatic praise and worship. On my first week of internship I received an email from the church with the worship song set list. I expected the same email in my inbox on my second week. I finally received the email–on Sunday morning at 8:00AM. I had to leave my house at 8:30AM! I tried unsuccessfully to access the songs before Sunday morning, but did not take the time to find an alternate solution.

Sunday morning I arrived early to rehearse with my mentor and the worship team. Church service starts at 10:30 a.m. The church service is projected onto Facebook Live every Sunday. So there I stood, in front of a camera on Facebook Live, and in front of several deaf people and struggled to interpret the worship songs. Worship songs are not my forte to begin with. I am more comfortable with hymns. Adding the pressure of having to “wing it” while I could barely understand the words of the singers–well, I nearly started crying when I finished. This was not the first time I had interpreted songs without prep, but boy, was it rough this time! My interpreting mentor wrote in the internship notebook I keep, “TRUST YOURSELF!” But honestly, I don’t know how to trust myself, yet.

My experience during the first week’s church worship set week’s went much better, from my perspective, because I took the time to figure out the meaning of the songs and practice them prior to going on stage.

On a brighter note, my deaf mentor told me that I had improved a little bit in terms of looking more relaxed while interpreting. My deaf mentor attends the church that I interpret the worship songs at. I have a tendency to look stiff and nervous when I interpret, and this is something I have been working on. I appreciated my deaf mentor’s affirmation.

My take home lesson? If at all possible, prepare. If I don’t have the material I need, I should be proactive in getting it, not expect it to show up at my doorstep…or in this case, in my inbox. If preparation is impossible, I need to keep three things in mind. First, my expectations for myself need to be lower. I need to get up to interpret with the thought that I will not do a perfect job. Second, I need to remind myself that my worth as a person is not dependent on whether I am satisfied with my performance as an interpreter. Third, when I am engaged in interpreting, I need to make decisions quickly and go with them as if they are exactly what I intend. I tend to be hesitant about my interpreting decisions, with an ongoing self-criticism that causes me to be very unsure and scared. I worry I won’t make sense. I need to lay down at the feet of Jesus all of my self-doubts, uncertainties, and criticisms. Let me just do the work. After all, the only way to become a great interpreter is to allow myself the freedom to make mistakes, to learn from them, and to carry on.

Written by: VCI Intern Michelle Boykin (Bethel College)

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https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/a-chance-for-an-invitation/#respondThu, 22 Feb 2018 16:44:54 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19063I pulled out the little devotional packet that my teachers compiled and sent with each student in my Bethel College Interpreter Training Program (ITP) as we headed off to our internships. I turned to the page that said, “Week Two,” and read the Bible verse, “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13, NLT). I was reminded in the devotional excerpt from James Kennedy, an American pastor and evangelist from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL (1960-2007) that my own feelings of inadequacy are a chance to invite God to work in me.

Looking back on the last week, it is hard to believe that I’ve already been in my internship a full seven days; yet, hard to believe it has been only been that much time. I have had opportunities to feel my inadequacy and also to see that God does give me strength and skill sufficient to meet each challenge. Here’s an example from my recent church interpreting experience. I carefully prepared for my two assigned worship songs of the four songs on the set list for the day. I felt a little bit nervous–what if people could not understand me? What if I completely messed up the interpretation? I prayed for help. I made it through my two songs, a prayer of encouragement, and a reprise of the last worship song. One of the deaf church members told me that my signing was beautiful during the songs. That really felt good!

With my portion of the interpreting finished, I sat down to watch my mentor in this situation. My goal is to learn from her. She interpreted the sermon portion of the Sunday service but then threw me a curve ball. While the ushers started collecting the offering, my mentor looked at me and said, “you do the last song”. Without any preparation, I stood up and stepped onto the interpreter platform. I could hardly understand the words! “Just go!” my mentor said. Sink or swim–I decided to swim! It was a little rough, but I made it through!

I know that it was Christ who gave me strength that day. It was Christ who gives me strength and ability to interpret every day. Did I interpret the songs perfectly? No. Did I make it through? Yes I did. I proved to myself once again that even when I feel inadequate, I can still press through the challenge. I can do it, because Christ works through me.

God reminds me continuously that my job is to depend fully on Him. When I depend on Him, I open the door wide for Him to work in me and through me. I have asked Him to remind me throughout my days to depend on Him, and He has. I praise Him for His mercy, and look forward to a successful finish to my second internship week.

Written by VCI Intern Michelle Boykin, Bethel College

]]>https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/a-chance-for-an-invitation/feed/019063As Natural as Eating Breakfasthttps://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/as-natural-as-eating-breakfast/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/as-natural-as-eating-breakfast/#respondWed, 14 Feb 2018 15:02:39 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19058It was 6:25 AM. The rain pitter-pattered softly on my windshield. The sun cast a beautiful orange glow in the eastern sky before disappearing behind a thick layer of clouds. My GPS hollered directions at me. It was my first day in the field as an intern for VCI. What would my day be like? How many hours would I get in observations? In hands up work? Only the day could tell. I arrived at my destination and found the interpreter with whom I would be working. Before long, our interpreting day began. Little did I know how excited I would feel at the day’s end.

Ten and a half hours later, I sat on my bed and added up the hours that I spent observing and interpreting: nearly seven hours! No wonder I felt tired; no wonder I felt so excited!

I have to confess, I went into that interpreting assignment with a feeling of uncertainty. After all these years in a classroom and in supervised interpreting situations, I wondered if I was really prepared for the challenges that would face me that day. When I got into the interpreter “hotseat,” however, I forgot to be nervous––yes, I forgot! Interpreting felt as natural to me as eating my breakfast! OK, it did take a little time to get into the groove, and I made a few mistakes along the way. But then it happened! All of the sudden something clicked in my brain, and I started putting out information that I knew made sense. My client watched with understanding on her face, and for that moment, I felt like a conqueror! I felt like I was being a successful interpreter!

Moments like these are wonderful, and for now, I am reveling in that feeling of success. I know that this is only day one. I know that I will make mistakes in the future. I know that there will be days in my profession as an interpreter when I will feel more like a failure than a success. But I know something else: I know that I can conquer my fears and setbacks, I can grow and improve in my skills, and I can also trust those who have confidence in me, even when I don’t have it in myself. I can remember those great moments and take courage, knowing that more are to come, and that mistakes are only stepping stones that propel me on to better choices and skills.

With expectation and dedication, I look forward to what is to come even tomorrow. I hope and pray that the things I learn will prepare me for the greatest service in the future.

Written by VCI Intern Michelle Boykin, (RID: Pre-Certified)

Bethel College Interpreter Training Program

]]>https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/as-natural-as-eating-breakfast/feed/019058Peacock in the Window Seathttps://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/peacock-in-the-window-seat/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/peacock-in-the-window-seat/#respondWed, 07 Feb 2018 16:04:24 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19053Did y’all see that news article about how United Airlines refused to allow a woman’s emotional support animal on the flight with her?

Her emotional support animal was a PEACOCK!! You heard me right – a P E A C O C K!

What in the Sam Hill is happening in the world!? A peacock? Emotionally supportive?! How?! PLEASE enlighten me.

Listen, I’m all about emotional support animals. Really. I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with a woman who holds a kitten on her lap in order to pull her away from depressive thoughts, or a sweet dog that can calm a kid’s severe anxiety with one compassionate look.

But please… tell me how a PEACOCK will help anyone chill out! I’m not judging, but I sure am laughing! I mean, think about it: can you imagine the reaction of the man or woman at the check-in counter when a passenger walks up casually and asks to buy a separate plane ticket for the GIANT EXOTIC BIRD sitting on her shoulder?! I can’t stop laughing thinking about how I would have reacted, had that been me.

I would have unprofessionally lost my mind with laughter, thinking it was a joke. Undoubtedly. And then, upon seeing that this woman wasn’t laughing with me, I would have stopped laughing, dropped my jaw at the realization that she was serious, and then with an awkward clearing of my throat would have dealt with the situation. Thank you, Lord, for making sure I wasn’t that ticket counter lady making the situation significantly worse than it needed to be!

What’s worse – can you imagine having that awkward third seat in her row on the plane?! Y’all, for real, I can’t stop laughing! Am I this freaking peacock’s seat partner?! Uh huh .. nooooo way! Can you imagine this bird taking the middle seat or worse yet the window seat and you end up literally ruffling its feathers as you nod off to sleep? No way.

I remember seeing a peacock outside of the zoo for the first time. I was in Austria and they were just roaming the grounds of a historical museum there. I wanted a picture with it – after all, they are beautiful, no doubt about it! But LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS DANG BIRD! It flared up its pretty feathers and SCREAMED as it backed away from me! (Haven’t heard a peacock scream? Google it!) I swear, it was a scene right out of the kids’ movie, Kung Fu Panda 2! Oh Lord, no! I do not want to be that close to a peacock EVER again, thank you very much!

Y’all, this is crazy! A peacock! I’m writing a blog about a PEACOCK! You’ve got to admit: as absurd as it all sounds, it is kind of comical.

I know at this point in the story, you’re probably thinking, “how in the world is this tirade about a bird related to interpreting?!” Well the answer is simple: it isn’t. It has nothing to do with interpreting, but it sure is funny!

Through all my laughter at this absurdity, I did realize that interpreters deal with absurd, unexpected happenstances all the time! And most of the time, there’s nothing we can do to prepare ourselves for it when it happens. There is no preparation for a Peacock in the window seat on an aircraft.

Here’s another example of a situation that an interpreter cannot prepare for. A simple physical therapy assignment, for example. Did you know that physical therapy not only occurs on the exterior of a person’s body but physical therapy can happen on the interior of a person’s body?

Here’s another one. Interpreting a wedding only to find out that the bride is the groom’s second cousin! That fact shouldn’t affect the interpretation, but that fact will give the interpreter pause for a moment resulting in a quick headshake of “huh?!? Say what now?!”

One of the oddest occurrences in my interpreting career thus far was interpreting a numberless math class. I’m not referring to Algebra where X and Y represent numbers. I’m referring to a general education math class where not a single number was referred to. Instead the lecture was about logical fallacies. Isn’t that a concept from English class? The other topic of the day was the importance of the Pythagorean spiral. How does that even happen?

Like I said earlier, these strange situations doesn’t change the way I approach the interpretation nor does it affect my professionalism while on the job, but these strange situations caught me off guard and caused me to stop for a brief moment just to “check in” and make sure that I was on track. The element of surprise is the nature of the interpreting profession. Expect the unexpected, take control of the absurd, and laugh about it later.

]]>https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/peacock-in-the-window-seat/feed/019053Psalm 23 Interpreters Versionhttps://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/psalm-23-interpreters-version/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/02/psalm-23-interpreters-version/#respondThu, 01 Feb 2018 17:42:27 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=19017While lying in bed running a 102 fever during a recent bout with the flu and bronchitis, all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind. Was my office staff doing okay? Were they holding down the fort? Was a customer or a client suffering because I wasn’t able to fill an interpreting request? Did I cause anyone else to fall ill the last day I was in the office before I fell sick? Will my interpreters get sick from the people they are interpreting for? Is the schedule filling after a Christmas/New Year slow period? And on and on and on. These questions don’t usually consume my head space. When I am up and running at full speed taking care of business there isn’t a lot of time to “think” or “worry”. There is so much to do and only 24 hours in a day to get it done. Using precious time to worry is, honestly, a waste of precious time. For me, seven days in bed was too much free time with not enough to do. I know I had choices. I could read a newspaper, book or magazine but the migraine resulted in blurred vision so reading was laborious. Sure I could “phone a friend” except the laryngitis rendered me without a voice and calling on Face Time was not happening because I looked like death warmed over and no one was to Face Time looking like that. Gratefully I had cleaned the house prior to getting sick so the house didn’t need cleaned. I wasn’t hungry and neither was my sick spouse so preparing food was out of the question. I didn’t want to go for a walk in the sub zero temps while coughing up a lung due to bronchitis. Didn’t want to paint rocks to hide around town. And I didn’t want to watch any more television or binge watch an entire TV series. So I had a LOT of free time to think. During one of my “thinks”, the Lord laid the following scripture on my heart. Psalm 23. This quick blog is an insight into what the Lord gave me during my “free time”. I wrote this while in bed. I’m choosing to share it with you in hopes that it will bless your life like it blessed mine.

Psalm 23-28 taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Interpreter Version: When interpreting work ebbs (Christmas holidays and summer time) the Lord can and will take care of me like he does when the interpreting work flows (January – June and September – November). He who owns a cattle on a thousand hills. He feeds the birds of the air and takes care of the lilies in the field. The Lord will take care of me too.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the quiet waters.

Interpreter Version: When the work ebbs, that is my time to rest and experience the world around me such as the beauty of the mountain tops and of waterfalls, trails between tall trees, bike paths that wind through coves, sunrises that touch my soul and sunsets that take my breath away. He created all of this for me to enjoy and then gave me amazing people that I can enjoy life with. I do not have to work all the time.

He restores my soul: he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Interpreter Version: As an interpreter I see, hear and interpret many situations where people are hurt, hurting, or have hurt others. I see, hear and interpret for situations where people experience great devastation and loss, yet because the Lord restores my soul I can give all burdens to Him and depart an assignment with a sound mind and continue through my day interpreting for other people in their situations. At the end of the day I can return home lay my head on the pillow and sleep in peace. When an ethical decision is before me and the decision isn’t clear but I have to make it anyway, the Lord guides me to the right decision and gives me confidence when I make a decision. He is always watching. He is always leading. I choose to follow.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Interpreter Version: When my personal life experiences trouble but I still have to go to work, function in a professional manner while making solid decisions and providing solid, accurate interpretations, the Lord holds my hand and holds back my tears. When fear wants to attach itself to me and dread wants to be my best friend, the Lord stands closer and walks with me while the fear subsides.Because the Lord is with me, my bad day doesn’t have to negatively influence someone else’s good day. The 10 Commandments (Old Testament: Exodus 20), Your rod and Your staff, is my guidebook for how to live life. As an interpreter I vow to adhere to the RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC). I can tie every tenet of the CPC to one or more of the 10 Commandments.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Interpreter Version: Not everyone in this profession and not everyone in the business of interpreting likes me. Sign language interpreting is often a cut throat profession, however, if I fully obey the Lord and carefully follow His commands, then the Lord gives me favor in the presence of all people including people that consider themselves my enemy. Those that rise up against me He will defeat before me. I will not turn to the left or to the right but will follow His path of righteousness so that I am blessed going in and coming out, blessed in the city and blessed in the country, and for as long as I live I will remain the head and not the tail, everything I put my hand to will prosper and the Lord will grant me abundant prosperity.

Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Interpreter Version: I obediently accepted the path and the plan that God laid out for my life here on earth. He called me to be an interpreter and I do it with gladness and joy. For that reason God promises me that His goodness, mercy, and loving kindness will surround me all the days of my life on earth and when I have finished the work He has for me on this earth, I will spend the rest of eternity with Him forever. Well done my good and faithful servant.

Even though I was working from home, positioning my computer so I could easily look out the window to see a nice layer of fluffy, white snow made my heart so happy! I could just imagine myself building a snowman or making a snow angel! It is so undeniably beautiful! Wow! But you know what else it is?

I know, I know. I’m from Florida, so any temperature below 50 degrees is “cold”. True. But don’t underestimate us Floridians. After all, Florida experiences winter – it just typically only lasts about 24 hours. But let me tell you: there’s a lot more going on than just cold that all my northern friends neglected to warn me about…

For instance:

Cold temperatures mean dry air. Dry air means nose bleeds. And nose bleeds means AWKWARD interpreting moments. It’s roughly three weeks into the New Year and, after counting 12, I lost count of how many nose bleeds I’ve had this year alone. (NOT kidding). It’s something crazy to behold getting ready with one hand while the other holds your nose. And it’s surely not ideal to be holding a tissue over your nose, interpreting one-handed during an assignment. But what other choices do I have? It’s not like I can sniff every 2 seconds to keep blood from rushing down my face. (Gross, yes, but unfortunately my reality).

You know what else cold means? Static electricity. That’s right: I’m that girl with the hair is constantly standing on end, reaching up towards the heavens, as if I’m “searching for reception”. It’s all fun and games until I accidentally shock my deaf client…again…and again…and again during the same assignment.

And don’t even get me started on flu season! I interpreted in a medical setting a few days ago when I was offered a free surgical mask to keep my germs away from others’ germs and vice versa. It came to my attention that there is a massive outbreak of flu, stomach bug, and strep throat… As Facebook sensation Heather Land would say, “not huh…I ain’t doin’ it”. Lord Jesus, be my defense and protect my dry, cracked hands from all this hand sanitizer I’m using!

So snow’s falling, huh? Bring it on. Temperatures dropping? Yeah, sure, I can bundle up. But ALL THESE OTHER CRAZY SIDE EFFECTS OF THIS LOVELY WINTER WONDERLAND?!? I don’t need it. I don’t want it. I’m already over it.

How long til Spring?

But all joking aside, being an interpreter in wintertime can truly be a S T RU G G L E!

I spent 10 unaccounted minutes scrapping the thick layer of ice off my windshield? Who feels my pain? A walk from my car to my interpreting assignment made my fingers freeze so stiffly that I couldn’t fingerspell or interpret fluidly? Can I get a witness? Then my mind wandered to a place of intense snowfall where I couldn’t drive to an assignment due to heavy snow and there wasn’t a replacement interpreter to cover for me? This cold weather can really make an interpreter’s daily work even more challenging.

Here’s what I really need to know.

I need to know how in the world a person is to dress professionally when the outdoor thermometer says it is as cold as Antarctica? That is a bit melodramatic, but the question stands. Dressing professionally while simultaneously dressing warm – all the while making sure to not wear the exact same outfit five days a week. It is a hard feat to accomplish. I told you that interpreting in the wintertime can truly be a S T RU G G L E.

Maybe I just need more options…but who has the time or money to go on a shopping spree to expand an interpreting wardrobe for a season that will ultimately only last a few weeks? And even so what is an interpreter to do with a thick, heavy winter coat while interpreting? Wad up the winter coat and toss it in a corner and hope it’s out of the way and not a distracting. So what do I do? What do you do?

I may not have all the answers (I’m a native Floridian, after all!). I may be that interpreter that unashamedly wears a jacket and a coat (yes, both simultaneously), a scarf, and sometimes ear warmers and gloves. Everyday. Unashamedly. But let me be the first to opinionate that the cold temperatures do not mean that we can sacrifice our professional attire.

Throw on some long johns under your dress pants, for goodness’ sakes! Wear two pairs of tights or 3 layers of long sleeves tops! Proudly flaunt your fun toboggan (fun fact: just learned what that was). Do whatever you have to do! But don’t don sweatpants or a hoodie or even a pair of nice jeans and risk tainting the standard of professionalism of our work just to feel one degree warmer. Not worth it.

There I said it. I’m sorry if that was too blunt or opinionated for some interpreters who find jeans and oversized hoodies okay to interpret in as long as it’s black. By no means am I trying to sound arrogant or holier-than-thou. (I mean, my gosh, I have to outfit-repeat myself multiple times each week in order to adhere to my own standards!) I am just adamant in my opinion that if we are going to be a respected profession that matures as we age, we have to set high standards at the start.

My dream was to be an ASL/English interpreter, to live in a big city, and to do the work that I love every day. Well, here I am– 24 years old, I have my National Interpreter Certification (NIC), I live and work in Washington, DC, and I am blessed with the opportunity to work with amazing people who do incredible things on a daily basis.

…Now what?

For some context, I started my journey to become an interpreter in 2015, three years ago.

I know, a long time, right?

Sarcasm aside, back in the day I never expected to “make it” so quickly. I was supposed to finish my bachelors degree in Interpreting, and then take advantage of my 5-year-and-change (thanks to the moratorium) grace period after passing the NIC written exam to develop my skills in preparation for the performance portion of the NIC exam.

Long story short, thanks to a tremendous network of professors, mentors, peers, friends, and family, deaf and hearing alike– it takes a village, after all– I got to a position where I felt confident enough in my skills to take the performance portion of the NIC, before I even graduated with my BS degree (I already hold a BA degree in another field). I took the test. I passed the test, and I walked across the stage to pick up my bachelor’s in ASL/English Interpreting with the National Interpreter Certification already in my back pocket.

I’ve been a certified interpreter for about 10 months, and I have been very busy during that time: working, learning, and thinking. One thought that sticks in my mind: where do I go from here?

I hadn’t really realized it before, but achieving national certification was my endgame. It was a tangible goal that motivated me to keep going, to do better, whatever it took. I never stopped to consider what would be the next thing to keep me going, let alone how that lack of a tangible goal would affect me.

So now, here I am, caught in a kind of limbo. How do I improve, motivate myself to continue doing my best and raising the bar, when I have nothing specific to strive for? I’m 24 years old. Is the NIC supposed to satisfy my drive for the next 40 some-odd years of my career?

One of my fears is plateauing– becoming complacent in my life and reaching a place where I no longer strive to achieve or better myself. This directly conflicts with my biggest enemy, motivation. I am a person who needs set goals and have a clear path to achieving them. If the path is a little too hard, I lose motivation. If it’s too easy, I lose focus. Video games are a nightmare for me.

I don’t have a clear career goal anymore.

Of course, there are still goals I can set to improve myself. I can work on specific skills (and I do), but there’s no end point, no accountability. I can do professional development (and I have), but that’s also an ongoing process. I can further my education (and I am), but another degree doesn’t necessarily indicate any additional field specific skills. I could get other credentials (and I plan to), like the BEI, but that will do me little good outside of the states that recognize other credentials. I could even take the next iteration of the NIC (and I will), whatever RID will label it, but that will most likely still be a generalist certification.

Having a generalist certification, like the NIC, is a necessity for our field. In RID’s own words, it indicates “professional knowledge and skills that meet or exceed the minimum professional standards necessary to perform in a broad range of interpretation and transliteration assignments.” Testing issues aside, it’s a good way to be fairly confident in the skills of the holder.

There are two things I want to hone in on here though: the words “minimum professional standards” and “broad range”. The first seems to suggest that the NIC is not an end-all be-all, but a least common denominator– any legitimate professional in the field should be able to get the NIC (again, testing issues aside). The second suggests that NIC holders can do a lot, but not everything. “Broad range” is a very vague statement, and likely intentionally so– the test can’t possibly account for the skills and schema of every single practitioner taking it. It’s a generalist certificate, so specifying exactly where one’s skills lie goes against the spirit of the NIC.

Why, then, do we hail the NIC, or any prior generalist certificates, as the best judge of qualification for an assignment? Why is it the only thing that qualifies us to work in almost any place? It seems to suggest, to those who may not know any better, than any two interpreters who hold the NIC or its predecessors are equal in skill, which we know is not the case.

I wasn’t around at the time, but from what I can gather, this used to be less of a problem. Before the current NIC, there were the NAD Certifications, which had five levels to differentiate skill, with three of them being considered “certified”. Even the first NIC had levels, which spoke to a practitioner’s interpreting skills as well as their ethical decision-making skills. There were even specialization certificates for legal interpreting, K-12 education, and performing arts.

Now we just have the NIC.

So where do we go from here? To answer that, I think we first have to ask ourselves, as a profession, what do we want NIC to mean? Only then can we decide what’s next, how we represent and qualify the tremendous diversity of settings and required skills we encounter on a daily basis.

Maybe it’s selfish of me to say, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having a few more certifications to work towards. I could certainly use the motivation, and having a few more letters after my name wouldn’t hurt. But most importantly, I don’t want the NIC to be the end of the line because I’m not ready to stop dreaming.

Sincerely,

A 24-year-old interpreter who’s just getting started.

Written by: David G. Phillips, B.A., B.S., NIC, a freelance interpreter based in Washington, D.C.

]]>https://www.vcinterpreting.com/01/living-the-dream/feed/118996New Year. New You?https://www.vcinterpreting.com/01/new-year-new-you/
https://www.vcinterpreting.com/01/new-year-new-you/#respondTue, 16 Jan 2018 16:48:26 +0000https://www.vcinterpreting.com/?p=18992We’re roughly two weeks into the New Year and I still find myself thinking about the implications of a new year.

I mean, did you ever think of the irony of celebrating the New Year at this time of the year? I mean, have you looked out your window lately at the freezing rain or walked from your front door to the car and nearly frozen your fingers off from the eight-degree temperatures (not including the wind chill)? Everything seems dead and grey and gloomy outside. (It is January, after all!) But my point is that we celebrate the New Year – a time for renewals and fresh starts – during a time when nothing is fresh and blooming. Seems a little ironic, doesn’t it?

But there’s something to be said about a time of year when everyone around the world – regardless of religious belief, culture, upbringing, personal preference, geographical location or the like – unites to celebrate a new beginning, a fresh start, a new year. In that, there’s a sense of collectiveness.

This concept of a “new year, new you” is still bouncing around my brain in contemplation, though. Does that phrase even apply to me?

Maybe it’s because I didn’t consider early enough what my New Year’s resolution was going to be (fun fact: STILL don’t have one). Maybe it’s because 2017 felt like a new year every few months because of all the change that occurred (moving, internship, moving, graduating, working, moving again, etc. etc.). Maybe it’s because I’m still struggling to find a worthwhile gym membership and new church home like I was at the end of 2017. Either way, it doesn’t really feel like a brand new year to me. So how do I find the motivation to consider a “new me” when the New Year doesn’t feel all that new?

It is strange. When I compare myself to where I was one year ago, I do feel like a new person. You know, the famous New Year’s Eve song, “Auld Lang Syne”, is translated as “for old times’ sake” and stands as a reminder to preserve old friendship and look back over the course of the past year before celebrating the start of the New Year. In reflecting myself, I remembered that this time last year I was a timid new interpreter feigning bravery in order to successfully make it through a grueling but exciting and beneficial VCI internship. I think about how far I’ve come in just the last year and the major life changes I’ve willingly embraced to become the person and interpreter that I am today. I dare say it’s rather self-inspiring.

So which is it? Does the New Year encourage a “new me” or did the excited anticipation about unknown prospects of 2018 pass me by as I continued to focus on settling my life here in Tennessee with more consistency and stability? Maybe I celebrated this “New Year, New Me” mentality back in November when I moved back to Knoxville officially after prioritizing my career over much else.

That’s not to say that I’m not looking forward to this new year; please do not misunderstand me. I’m looking forward to MANY things this year, both professionally and personally. And I have many goals to work toward achieving this year. Mind you, they are not so much resolutions because who actually keeps his/her resolutions all year??

Which made me think…how does someone successfully adhere to his/her New Year’s resolutions/goals?

Accountability.

Self-control and self-motivation are great abilities to possess, but even the most self-controlled person has moments of weakness. If we are to keep a resolution for one full year – 365 long days –sometimes that means staying true to your resolution simply because someone is holding you accountable (and not so much because you want or have the self-motivation to stay true to it on your own accord). Besides, who would know we cheated one day or gave up altogether if we kept these goals to ourselves?

I recognize that asking for accountability is vulnerable, as accountability sometimes means allowing someone to see your weaknesses or insecurities in order to achieve a set goal. For instance, if your goal this year was to get back into the gym on a regular basis, having accountability to adhere to that goal may mean divulging that you feel the need to lose weight or are maybe seeking a more active, healthy lifestyle. Either way, that kind of confession for accountability can be rather personal. But don’t you think the benefit of trusting others in accountability in all of its vulnerability far exceeds the possibility of failing to uphold yourself to your resolution?

And so let me be the first to come forward vulnerable, intimidated and anxious to ask for accountability from this dear Deaf community I cherish so greatly:

This is the year: the year I take the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) Exam.

It is my goal to eventually serve this deaf community with the high skill, finesse, knowledge, and selfless pride like that of my VCI certified interpreter colleagues. This NIC performance exam is the first step toward attaining that long-term goal. This is the year it all starts.

Yes, I am nervous.

Yes, I sometimes doubt myself and my abilities.

And yes, I am afraid of failure.

But this is the year.

So there you have it: vulnerable accountability at its rawest. Thank you all for supporting me through this journey for certification. So really, 2018 is not a matter of “New Year, New Me”, but rather “same ol’ me…new, hopeful goals!”

And so now I challenge all of you to seek accountability as this New Year is underway. If you’re willing to share, I would love to hear your goals, aspirations and plans!